Recently got myself Thrustmaster wheel and pedals set, and another pedal set for the same wheel (courtesy of Mazz ). The connector for Thrustmaster pedals is RJ11/12, the same as a standard phone line, and I figure the easiest way to have two pedal sets connected at the same time is to convert one to USB. Would the RJ11 --> USB converters (made for making normal phones 'Skype' compatible) do the trick? Or would I have to replace the RJ11 connecter with a USB one (I tried doing that with an old pedal set I had lying around, some 8 pin female or something, to USB, and windows recognised it as "broken hardware". Maybe RC11 is different?)?

I know the last resort is to mod the original pedal set to have another pedal on the end, but I'd rather not (wheel still has about 2 year warrenty!). Anyone got any advice please?

Regards,
ROB

EDIT: Wait, I just checked the cable again, it appears that it is Ethernet sized, with 6 wires. USB only has 4, right?

Hmm i dont know much about this stuff, But usb is either 4 or 5, out of pure interest how will this work? isnt the point of the different cables to carry different signals? but meh, theres my opinion Good luck wit it n all

Quote from jimaxx :

Hmm i dont know much about this stuff, But usb is either 4 or 5, out of pure interest how will this work? isnt the point of the different cables to carry different signals? but meh, theres my opinion Good luck wit it n all

Well in that case how does the actual wheel (which by pure logic has more wires than the pedals) use USB?

Quote from jimaxx :

Hmm i dont know much about this stuff, But usb is either 4 or 5, out of pure interest how will this work? isnt the point of the different cables to carry different signals? but meh, theres my opinion Good luck wit it n all

that's how an analog signal works, not digital, which USB is.

to answer the OP's question, i don't think this is going to work. the pedals have to connect through the wheel for them to work. i'm not expert on this stuff but the way i always understood it was that the wheel is really the one interpreting the data from the pedals and sending it off to the computer. you can't just bypass the wheel by switching the plug to USB, because the pedals have no idea how to talk straight to the computer.

Quote from UncleBenny :

that's how an analog signal works, not digital, which USB is.

to answer the OP's question, i don't think this is going to work. the pedals have to connect through the wheel for them to work. i'm not expert on this stuff but the way i always understood it was that the wheel is really the one interpreting the data from the pedals and sending it off to the computer. you can't just bypass the wheel by switching the plug to USB, because the pedals have no idea how to talk straight to the computer.

Perhaps a driver? There might be one somewhere in the furthest reaches of the internet...I have no idea where to start though...

Or you could just plug the extra pedals into the socket behind the gear shifter (thats what its there for)


p.s, the connector on the pedals is an RJ45, (a 4 pair cable), whereas the RJ11 is a 2 pair. Sorry to be pedantic, but i used to be a phone engineer so i thought i'd better clear up the mistake

Quote from Mazz4200 :

Or you could just plug the extra pedals into the socket behind the gear shifter (thats what its there for)


p.s, the connector on the pedals is an RJ45, (a 4 pair cable), whereas the RJ11 is a 2 pair. Sorry to be pedantic, but i used to be a phone engineer so i thought i'd better clear up the mistake

LOL never noticed that socket before! <off topic slightly> BTW, is there a visual difference between the RJ11 and RJ45 (apart from the amount of wiring inside)? And out of curiosity, would a RJ45 --> USB converter work (they're available to convert old phones to skype)?

Erm, the short answer is the RJ11 is smaller than the 45, simply because it has less connecting pins, but they do look very similar.

I've never heard of an RJ to USB connector ??, but if you cut the RJ off and spliced the cables into a USB converter then you can make almost any controller USB. A lot of guys have done this with old TM FLCS gameport joysticks for flightsim.

If you're really interested i can track down the converter and post a link. (from memory its called a BU8030 or something similar ?)


Edit: Nah, bad memory strikes again....It's actually called a BU0836, here's a link http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/joystick/ really usefully little toy if you wanna build your own cockpit, the possibilities are almost endless

Quote from Mazz4200 :

Edit: Nah, bad memory strikes again....It's actually called a BU0836, here's a link http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/joystick/ really usefully little toy if you wanna build your own cockpit, the possibilities are almost endless

that is pretty sweet

Quote from Mazz4200 :

Erm, the short answer is the RJ11 is smaller than the 45, simply because it has less connecting pins, but they do look very similar.

I've never heard of an RJ to USB connector ??, but if you cut the RJ off and spliced the cables into a USB converter then you can make almost any controller USB. A lot of guys have done this with old TM FLCS gameport joysticks for flightsim.

If you're really interested i can track down the converter and post a link. (from memory its called a BU8030 or something similar ?)


Edit: Nah, bad memory strikes again....It's actually called a BU0836, here's a link http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/joystick/ really usefully little toy if you wanna build your own cockpit, the possibilities are almost endless

How that thing does look sweet, but I ain't got a clue about it! I disasembled the pedal set, and found this (sorry, no camera with me atm, so...):

Accelerator pedal has 5 wires going to it: one on top of the sensor (no idea what proper name is), one bottom and one middle (presumably the first two carry power, and middle one carries signal?), but also 2 that go into the base of the sensor. The top wire and bottom wire are continued over to the brake pedal, also connected top and bottom (thats why i presume they are power), and the middle part of this sensor also has a wire going straight out (again, i presume it carries signal).

Hope you can understand this alright...wow thats a lot of presumptions!!...that makes sense to me, except the two wires going into bottom of accelerator? If they aren't used, surely i can connect the other 4 wires going out into a usb end? USB has two power, right? And then the two left over for signal? I dont want to cut any wire until I know it'l work though...This would probably be the best option as I have loads of unused USB leads around the place, and I won't have to buy anymore stuff in lol! (maybe if you didnt understand it you could take a look at your own pedals, assuming you dont mind taking it apart of course)

If I did get that 'contraption' in the link, what way would I connect the pedal wires?

Thanks a lot for helping me!

Nope, you've completely lost me

Why do you want or need to take them apart and wire them up to a USB ?. They should work fine if you just plug them into the back of the wheel. When connected to the socket behind the gear shift the pedals take the place of the progressive flappy paddle thingys so you can have a clutch and even a foot handbrake like a Merc. Remember this is a 5 axis wheel. Here's the link to the wheels manual, just incase you didn't get one http://ts.thrustmaster.com/eng ... d=2&pid=227&cid=6

Incidently a USB only has 1 wire for the power input (the red one). And 1 for the power output (the black one)

How's this?

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/usb_ethernet_adapter.html

Quote from Mazz4200 :

Nope, you've completely lost me

Why do you want or need to take them apart and wire them up to a USB ?. They should work fine if you just plug them into the back of the wheel. When connected to the socket behind the gear shift the pedals take the place of the progressive flappy paddle thingys so you can have a clutch and even a foot handbrake like a Merc. Remember this is a 5 axis wheel. Here's the link to the wheels manual, just incase you didn't get one http://ts.thrustmaster.com/eng ... d=2&pid=227&cid=6

Incidently a USB only has 1 wire for the power input (the red one). And 1 for the power output (the black one)

What? My wheel doesnt have a socket behind gear shift! It looks exactly like the one on the thrustmaster website, but it has no socket behind the gear shift...It has one slot for one set of pedals, but thats it...that isn't normal, is it?

You do have the RGT wheel ? if so then it should have the extra socket.

Post a pic of it.

Quote from Mazz4200 :

You do have the RGT wheel ? if so then it should have the extra socket.

Post a pic of it.

Oh wait, it does sorry!!! lol im such an idiot the last owner put a blank in it, and I didnt see it! Haha lol at me!!

Yep, pedals work fine in it. <Off topic> BTW, I'm starting an interest in electronics. Have you taken apart your pedals before? When I was gonna wire mine for USB, I noticed it had two wires which are soldered into plastic? So could the other four not be put into a USB? I'm not really familiar with USB, so maybe you could advise me? Thanks for help mate!

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

Have you taken apart your pedals before?

Nope

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

When I was gonna wire mine for USB, I noticed it had two wires which are soldered into plastic?

Weird

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

So could the other four not be put into a USB? I'm not really familiar with USB, so maybe you could advise me? Thanks for help mate!

I'm no expert but any controller will need some sort of interface (i.e microchip) so the computer knows what is attached and what it's trying to do. You might as well wire up the USB cable to a house brick coz the PC will never know what it is unless you've got some bit of silicon telling it how to interpret the inputs. Thats why you'd need that BU0836 thing.

To be honest the easiest way to do this sort of stuff is use an old USB controller such as a joystick or gamepad. Then simply wire in the new pedals to that.

And as far as which cable does which, it's simply a case of trying them till you get the right combination. It's perfectly safe to hold the wires on the connection points while there's power running through it.

I was going to build a flight deck for FSX, so i started collecting PS2 gamepads and had a bit play with them. But it was taking too long to find all the other bits and pieces i needed so i just went and bought a ready made yoke and a really good HOTAS. But there's loads of help and step by step guides to be found online. It's so much easier to explain how to wire stuff up with pictures rather than just a brief written description.

Incidently i had a quick read of your Insim thread. Don't know if you know, but a PSP or Gizmondo can be used as a kind of LCD multifunction panel, so it can be used for a rev counter and speedo etc. But Saitek also make small lcd screen that can be used for various dials. Just have a look on their website.

Happy building...

Quote from Mazz4200 :

To be honest the easiest way to do this sort of stuff is use an old USB controller such as a joystick or gamepad. Then simply wire in the new pedals to that.

Amm, all I have is an old controller which uses the really old pin-style connection, which my PC doesn't have...Also some old PS controllers...Could I use the joystick wires for the pedals? They're axes too, right?

Quote from Mazz4200 :

And as far as which cable does which, it's simply a case of trying them till you get the right combination. It's perfectly safe to hold the wires on the connection points while there's power running through it.

OK, but if I get electrcuted...lol

Anyway, thanks for all your help, I'll see what I can dig up.

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

old PS controllers...Could I use the joystick wires for the pedals? They're axes too, right?

The pots in PS2 gamepads are soldered directly onto the pcb, but you can easily take the wire from the pedals and solder them onto the various points on that pcb. + each thumb twiddler stick thingy has 2 axes each, so infact you've got 4 axes altogether, and about 15 or 16 extra buttons . So if you're really adventurous you can make yourself an H pattern shifter too, and lots of other bits and pieces besides. Infact, if you really wanna build a full cockpit you can get to the point where you won't need to use the keyboard for anything other than chatting. But you'll have to figure all that stuff out yourself...i'm far to lazy...

All you'll need is one of those PS2 to USB converter things. From memory you don't even need a driver in Windows XP, ?? could be wrong about that though ?

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

OK, but if I get electrcuted...lol

Nah, safe as houses mate

Quote from dougie-lampkin :

Anyway, thanks for all your help, I'll see what I can dig up.

No worries.
Good places to check are the RSC cockpit builders forums and the thousands and thousands of Flightsim cockpit builders sites out there.

Quote from Mazz4200 :

The pots in PS2 gamepads are soldered directly onto the pcb, but you can easily take the wire from the pedals and solder them onto the various points on that pcb. + each thumb twiddler stick thingy has 2 axes each, so infact you've got 4 axes altogether, and about 15 or 16 extra buttons . So if you're really adventurous you can make yourself an H pattern shifter too, and lots of other bits and pieces besides.

I'm not sure about the 4 axes for PS2 pads, I use a PS3 pad for LFS, and both of the joysticks have one axis each, but PS2 could be different. An H-shifter is basically just 7 buttons arranged in a H-shape, with some sort of plastic thingy that when pushed/pulled holds down a button, right? I suppose I could fashion one of those alright!

So now I need a PS2 --> USB converter...Would you have one spare? I can send you the money for postage and for the adaptor, it's just I can't get access to my paypal account, so I can't use e-bay anymore...

Ermm, i do have some PS2 controllers and USB converters lying about the place, but i really fancy trying to make a throttle quadrant and a few other bits and pieces for flightsim, so they're not really going spare.

There must be a place nearby where you can pick up cheap controllers, i bought a couple of mine for a fiver each from Kwiksave !, so i guess they're everywhere, it's just a case of looking which is actually part of the fun for me

Ah its alright I got into my old paypal account and re-assigned the card number, so WA-HAY!

Thanks for all your help mate, much appreciated! Best of luck with your flight deck lol